Dispensing container



May 5, 1942, c. J. cHRls-rENsN ET AL 2,282,034

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed May 17. 1941 INVENTORS [w @sgg/vim ZX By sz/5,yb-mim @ayu/9 A TT ORNEYS.

Patented May 5, 1942 OFFICE DISPENSING CONTAINER Carl j. Christensen andLeslie l. Shepherd, Toledo, Ohio Application May 17, 1941, Serial No.393,986

2 Claims.

This invention relates more particularly to a toothbrush having a liquiddentifrice, or to a scrubbing brush havinga liquid soap, in the handleportion thereof together with means for controlling the discharge of theliquid to the bristle portion of the brush.

The primary object of the invention is the pro- Vision in a brush ofthis character of simple, improved and easily operable meanscontrollable by a rotation of the handle relative to the brush head tooperate a plunger type of valve both to open and close the communicationbetween the handle chamber and discharge passage therefrom and to effecta positive ejection of liquid from said passage, as well as to cleanaccumulated matter from its walls during the passage closing stroke ofthe plunger.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent fromthe following detailed description and from the accompanying drawing, inwhich- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a brush embodyingthe invention, with the control valve in open position and with parts infull; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. 1, with the valvein full and in closed position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-section onthe line 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side view of the valve member; Fig.5 is a central longitudinal section of the valve enclosing members ofthe brush, with the valve removed; and Fig. 6 is a rear end view of Fig.5.

Referring to the drawing, I designates a brush head, in the presentinstance of the type commonly used in toothbrushes, and including tuftsof bristles 2 on a back 3. The inner or handle end of the back 3 isprovided lengthwise of the brush, with a short shank or extension 4broadened relative to the back 3 in the plane of the bristles 2, andprovided in its free end with a threaded socket 5 centrally from thebottom of which extends a restricted discharge passage 6. The outer endof this passage terminates adjacent to the inner end of the set ofbristles 2, and

its inner end wall is provided, in the present indischarge the twoparts. The nipple enlarges towards its rear end to a cross-sectionalsize cor- 1 responding to that of the sleeve I2, and is provided at suchend with a reduced stud part I5 for entering the adjacent end of thesleeve and on which the sleeve is intended to rotate. A nut IB isthreaded on the stud I5 within the sleeve I2 and engages a shallowinternal flange I'I thereon to retain the nipple and sleeve in relativerotatable assembly. The outer or rear end of the nut I6 is cross-notchedasiat I8 (Figs. 5 and 6) to facilitate engagement by a screw driverinserted through the opposite end of the sleeve.

The nipple II is provided axially therethrough with a bore forming thelarge rear end portion 20 and the restricted front end portion 2|, withthe diameter of the latter larger than the shank passage 6, so as toexpose the tapered valve seat I thereto, as shown.

The barrel I0 has its inner end reduced and threaded into the rear endofthe sleeve I2, as shown at 23, with one tightly seating against theother, so that When assembled they constitute the rotatable part of thehandle which is mounted on the nipple II. These rotatable handle `partsform the chamber 24 in which the liquid to be dispensed is stored. Thechamber 24 is lled by liquid dentifrice, soap, or the like, depending onthe use to which the brush is to be put, by unscrewing the part I3 fromthe sleeve I2 and then pouring the liquid into the inner open end of thepart I3.

The valve for controlling the discharge of liquid vfrom the handle to`the brush head includes a stem part 3U fitting the largeportion 20 ofthe nipple bore and having at its forward end a reduced plunger portion3| for fitting the reduced portion 2| of said bore and adapted to seatat its free end against the seat 'I at the inner end 0f the dischargepassage 6 when the valve is at the limit of its forward or seatingstroke.

The stem 30 is provided at its rear end with a peripherally threadedhead 32 which, except as hereinafter noted, closes the passage throughthe sleeve I2 and has threaded engagement with its inner wall. Suchthreaded engagement is of the quick movement type so that the reducedplunger portion 3| of the valve will be withdrawn from the portion 2| ofthe nipple bore by a comparatively slight relative turning of the handleI0.

-In the present instance, the full length of movevented from turningwith the handle during such movement by causing the stem portion 3D andbore portion 20 to interengage in out-of-round fashion, as shown inFigs. 3 and 6. In the present instance, this is accomplished by atteningtwo opposed sides of the bore portion 20 and correspondingly flatteningthe sides of the stem 30. It is thus apparent that a turning of thehandle l0 in one direction relative to the brush head will effect arapid movement of the valve from full open to full seated position, andvice versa.

The valve stem Sii is provided lengthwise therethrough with an axialvpassage 33 which is open to the liquid chamber 2li of the handlethrough the head 32 and has its opposite or forward end extended intothe inner end portion of the plunger part 3l and provided therein withone or more lateral outlet openings 34,.

It is apparent that when the valve is in retracted position as shown inFig. 1, the forward end portion of the bore 2E! and its restrictedoutlet portion 2l are in communication with the liquid storage chamber24 through the valve passage 33 and side ports 34, thus permittingliquid from the chamber to be discharged through the. bore of the nipplell and the restricted disc-harge passage 6 in the brush head shank. Upona forward movement of the Valve member the plunger part 3l thereofenters and closes the restricted bore 2l of the nipple ll and at thesame time forcefully ejec'ts liquid therefrom through the passage 6 tothe brush bristles and also cleans the wall of the bore 2l of anyaccumulated liquid. This latter action insures maintaining the dischargepassages 2| open when the valve plunger is retracted, so that thedischarge of liquid therefrom will not be interfered with. This is animportant feature in connection with dispensing of liquidV dentifrices,soap, or the like, as the tendency of such liquids when subjected to theair is to congeal and accumulate on the walls of the passages.

In the use of the invention, liquid is caused to flow by gravity intothe nipple member of the handle when the valve plunger is in retractedposition, and such liquid, if it does not ow freely from the handlethrough the restricted discharge passage in the brush head, is caused tobe forcefully ejected from the nipple and said passage by the forwardstroke of the valve plunger, which ts the nipple bore. This, in effect,may cause a measured discharge of liquid from the handle to the brush,inasmuch as all of the liquid contained in the plunger receiving portion2l of the nipple is discharged therefrom upon the forward movement ofthe plunger.

We wish it understood that our invention is not limited to any specificconstruction, arrangement or form of the parts, as it is capable ofnumerous modifications and changes without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. A dispensing container of the class described including a nipplehaving a discharge passage therethrough, a sleeve rotatably attached tothe inner end of the nipple and held thereby against relative axialmovements, a barrel attached toY the sleeve in opposition to saidnipple, valve means including a stem portion threaded in said sleeve anda plunger at the forward end of the stem mounted for non-rotativemovements in said nipple and reciprocally movable in its bore when thesleeve is turned relative to the nipple, said valve having a stempassage in communication at its rear end with the interior of the barreland open at its forward end to said nipple passage when the plunger hasbeen retracted a predetermined extent, said plunger operating` during aforward stroke thereof to force liquid from said passage.

2. In a dispensing container of the class described, a nipple having abore therethrough with its outlet end portion reduced from its inner endportion, a sleeve rotatably attached to the inner end of said nipple andheld thereby against relative axial movements, a barrel attached to thesleeve in opposition to said nipple, valve means including a stemportion threaded in said sleeve, said stem portion fitting the largeportion of the nipple bore and having a reduced forward end portionfitting the reduced portion of the bore, said stern portion also havingan interior'passage open at its rear end to the sleeve and barrel andhaving its forward end opening laterally of said reduced stem portionand closed by the wall of the reduced portion of said nipple bore whenthe valve is in one position of its movement, said valve beinglongitudinally movable relative to the nipple by a relative turning ofthe sleeve to uncover the forward end of said passage to the largeportion of said bore and open communication between the barrel and theoutlet end portion of the bore to permit discharge of the barrelcontents from the nipple.

CARL J. CHRISTENSEN. LESLIE P. SHEPHERD.

